I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

Near the Tenkuji family home, there was a river called Hoshimi.

Its waters were clear, and at night, the stars in the sky reflected on its surface, hence the name Hoshimi (Star-Viewing).

By this river stood a yakitori stall that had been open for ten years. The owner was wealthy; after retiring, he opened the stall to experience life.

Yuu wasn't particularly close with him, but he'd eaten there a few times—the food was tasty, affordable, but not filling.

After all, yakitori at night, paired with beer, stories, and the lingering sorrows of life, wasn't meant to fill you up.

It was like an izakaya. Hardly anyone went to an izakaya to eat their fill.

Of course, this wasn't very relevant to Yuu in the twilight.

He stood in front of the blazing grill, enduring the heat and smoke on his face, casually watching the meat skewers slowly cook over the fire.

"Hey, kid, can't you stand to the side? Seeing you torture yourself like that makes me uncomfortable too."

Flipping the meat skewers on the grill, the bald stall owner wore an odd expression, his fan unsure where to wave.

The reason was hard to explain, so Yuu just gave an awkward smile and changed the subject:

"It's fine, don't worry about me. Just pretend I'm not here."

"Huh? Who's worried about you? I'm just scared I'll make you pass out and have to call an ambulance again! Geez…"

Since he was the unreasonable one, Yuu could only accept the owner's complaints with resignation.

After estimating the time, Yuu sniffed his clothes, and once he confirmed they reeked of oily, pungent charcoal-grilled yakitori, he sincerely thanked the owner, then stepped aside to wait for the skewers to finish cooking.

He added, "Boss, don't put sauce on those vegetable skewers."

"Got it~ Man, young people these days have such weird tastes, even liking to get smoked…"

The owner's muttering reached his ears. Yuu just turned his face, gazing at the calmly flowing Hoshimi River, and began thinking about his own matters.

Right, this was the answer.

There were many ways to evade Sora's detection, and Yuu chose the one closest to home and most likely to succeed.

His grandmother once said, you fight a smell with a smell.

Haruno's hair was well-maintained, leaving no visible traces on his body; thus, the only evidence to eliminate was the lingering scent.

Changing clothes would be too obvious, washing them would take too long… Though each had its solutions, none were as simple and quick as standing in front of a yakitori stall and letting the smell of grilled meat dominate.

Most importantly, Sora disliked strong, pungent odors. Once she smelled it, she'd immediately shoo him off to shower, leaving no chance to check for another woman's perfume on him.

Sora knew him well, so how could Yuu not know Sora?

Thus, this plan was perfect, with no chance of failure!

"I'm the best."

Yuu suddenly realized he might have the potential to be a scumbag.

Why was he going to such lengths to hide from the most important person in his life that he was being paid by a college girl outside?

…Wait, wouldn't any normal person choose to hide something like this?

Yuu instantly felt relieved.

He wasn't a scumbag; he just didn't want Sora to overthink. This was a form of gentleness.

"Kid, your skewers are ready! Two thousand yen total!"

The owner's shout interrupted his thoughts. Yuu reached out to pay, then took the bag of skewers.

The sauced meat skewers were for him; the unsauced vegetable skewers were for Sora—she was physically frail and didn't like heavy food.

Though she ate junk food every day.

Carrying the bag of skewers and the smoky smell all over him, Yuu quickly walked toward home.

The sky was almost dark; returning now to cook was perfect timing, and he could also appease Sora with the skewers, filling her up and prompting a little grumbling.

As he thought this, a few people ahead carrying large and small cameras, looking like a TV crew, caught his attention.

There were men and women, with clear distinctions between prop and camera crew, though he didn't know what show they were filming.

Variety shows shooting on the street often picked random passersby for interviews, interactions, and the like. Of course, many scenes were pre-arranged to create more dramatic effects by any means necessary.

Well, that's how serious shows worked.

As for the less serious ones… those who get it, get it; those who don't, can't do much about it.

[T/N: The water here runs deep. I can only say: if written, this book would vanish.]

Passing by them, Yuu glanced discreetly and noticed they seemed to have found their 'prey'—a woman who looked fairly young.

Amid the group's enthusiastic explanation, the woman's face showed clear interest, occasionally nodding, asking questions, and finally giving a shy smile before bowing to the group, indicating her willingness to cooperate.

His mind still lingering on 'less serious shows,' Yuu instantly understood.

"Didn't expect I'd witness this scene in person…"

As a normal guy who'd watched countless films, he couldn't help but feel moved, unconsciously glancing at the woman's appearance again.

She was around twenty, dressed simply in a plain short-sleeved t-shirt and unremarkable long jeans. Yet her slender, proportionate figure and upright, graceful posture gave the impression of a pearl hidden in dust.

Her black hair was tied into two old-fashioned braids, and she wore large black-framed glasses, seemingly to disguise herself. Her features, skin, and face shape could be called beautiful.

So, Yuu understood again.

"A plain college girl… this show crew sure knows how to pick."

He flashed a knowing smile like a seasoned driver, then quickly looked away, casually passing the group.

No disdain or envy—they were doing their job, and it had nothing to do with him, who was heading home to feed his sister.

Setting aside his curiosity and emotion, basic respect was still due.

"Hey, you there! The young guy with the skewers!"

Before he could take a few steps, a call came from behind.

Yuu looked left and right, confirming he was the only 'young guy with skewers' on the street, then stopped, turning with a puzzled expression. "Me?"

"Yes, yes, exactly, you!"

A middle-aged man in a floral shirt and sunglasses approached, immediately handing him a business card.

Producer of a certain TV station's show, Morikawa Kouhei.

"Hello, hello, sorry for calling you out of the blue. I'm Morikawa."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, flashing a bright, friendly smile.

"Do you have time right now? We're filming a show and looking for a few people to participate."

"Uh… it's pretty obvious."

Looking at the business card, then at the man, Yuu's expression turned odd. He glanced at the woman in the distance.

"You mean I'd be participating in the same show as that woman?"

"Yes, yes, great that you catch on so quickly!"

"Haaa…"

Unsure what dirty thoughts were swirling in his mind, Kouhei nodded repeatedly, speaking with enthusiasm and sincerity:

"So, what do you say? Don't worry, it'll be quick and won't waste much of your time."

"…"

The corner of Yuu's mouth twitched slightly.

(This guy, who do you think you're underestimating? I'm the one worried about wasting your time and never finishing!)

Too lazy to complain further, he intended to refuse outright.

Yuu had zero interest in performing 'human primitive movements' in public.

"Sorry, I—"

Kouhei suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added:

"By the way, our show is called [Great Duel: Ordinary People vs. Experts!]. This episode compares the acting skills of regular people versus actors, so you might need to read a script and act alongside Miss Ichinose over there…"

"Eh, what's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

Yuu covered his face with one hand, sighing with deeply mixed feelings.

"Something this important, I wish you'd mentioned it upfront."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have realized how dirty his own thoughts were.

—Yuu made up his mind.

Later, he'd share all the resources on his hard drive with netizens, without keeping any backups, as a form of self-reflection.